This blog started off by focussing on NZ's smaller 3rd level airlines, past and present. It has evolved to trying to present some record of NZ's domestic airline operations and some of the larger charter operators, interesting NZ international airliner movements and photos I have taken around the country. Comments, corrections or contributions are welcome, Steve - westland831@gmail.com

16 October 2012

Oamaru to get new air service

Representatives from Dunedin-based Mainland Air were in Oamaru
yesterday to meet with the Waitaki District Council and business people as they
discuss plans to launch services from the Oamaru Airport in mid-January. Mainland
Air pilot and operations manager Phil Kean confirmed the service would likely
begin early in the new year, but details had changed since the initial
proposal. "It's looking good, it's looking great actually," Mr Kean
said. "But there's a bit more homework to be done yet, there's no use us
rushing into it and then stopping it because of lack of patronage." He
said the support from Oamaruvians had been encouraging. "The people most
likely to use it are business and corporate travellers mainly and everything
for them stops mid-December and starts again mid-January. So there's no use in
us starting it and then stopping in mid-December," Mr Kean said. "That
will also give people plenty of time to get themselves in the frame of mind to
use it." Mainland Air will permanently base a plane in Oamaru to service
the Oamaru to Christchurch route. "It would be Oamaru's own service,"
Mainland Air general manager Shirley Kean said. The ideal service for Oamaru
would be flying to Christchurch at 7am and returning to Oamaru at 8am, then
flying out of Oamaru to Christchurch again at 5pm and returning to Oamaru at
6pm. "That means you could leave Oamaru at 7am and be in Auckland by
11am," Mr Kean said. Having two departures and two arrivals daily would
depend on demand. "We'll probably start with a smaller plane [a
five-seater], then upgrade to a nine-seater if more people booked for the
flight," Mrs Kean said. "It looks really promising, and the contacts
that we've made in Oamaru have been really, really positive." They hoped
to be based in Oamaru for the long haul and become an airline that local people
could depend on. Oamaru was the only town of its size without a regular air
service. The Oamaru-based plane would be available for other services between
the regular flights. For example, for a charter flight to Wellington which
would take about an hour and a half. Waitaki Tourism Board chairwoman Annabel
Berry said she was thrilled the service was going ahead. She said there would
be "huge potential" to attract people from as far afield as
Wellington and Auckland to Oamaru for events and conferences. "We've got
all of the facilities, so we'll be looking at targeting domestic tourism,"
she said. "It's brilliant, I'm absolutely thrilled." Waitaki District
Council chief executive officer Michael Ross said it would be great to see more
people coming and going from Oamaru. The Waitaki District Council would look at
introducing Mainland Air to the Oamaru business community to get the service
started. "It will be positive for the area," he said. A website
booking system and an 0800 number will be available for bookings. Mainland Air
services is based at Dunedin Airport. Established in 1991, it specialises in
scenic flights across the southern tourist basin, private and business charter
services anywhere in New Zealand, geological and ecological aerial survey work
and air ambulance transfers. The company also operates a flight training
school.